A Returning Team of “Old Friends”
Several times a year Agua Viva Serves receives volunteer teams that are “old friends”. The University of Central Florida Wesley Foundation (UCF-Wesley) 2015 team fitted that description, with over half the team having been on the 2014 UCF-Wesley trip. That experience was a great help in getting everyone orientated during the first days.
The nine-member team was large enough to be divided into two work groups; one to re-drill a well completed in early May, at the Isla Chica school; the second, at Chompipera, to place concrete floors for two houses. I accompanied the team at Chompipera.
La Chompipera community has no running water
The houses have dirt floors
Chompipera
Chompipera was formed when a large landowner set aside a plot of land a few acres in size and sub-divided it into parcels. It is near the town of Cano Negro around 45 minutes from Los Chiles. Currently four related families, around 25 people, have built very modest homes. AVS was told about Chompipera by a member of the Los Chiles Methodist church. An initial visit was made in late April 2015. None of the very modest houses had concrete floors or running water. More photos taken during the initial visit are shown in my May 2nd blog.
Adding and smoothing the dirt floor
Tamping down the floor t
Dampening the floor prior to placing concrete
Placing the concrete
Fran, an AVS local construction supervisor, directed the work group’s efforts. The top of the new 2 ½ inch thick concrete floor was determined; then the underlying earth floor was adjusted to the proper level. Earth was either removed or added, and tamped down as needed. The team, and community members, mixed the concrete and using wheelbarrows brought it to the houses. Fran, and a couple of willing UCF students, spread out and smoothed the concrete. Also helping were local men who had concrete work experience.
Filling the buckets with gravel for concrete
Erwin Lopez the Campus Minister loads the concrete mixer
Helping smooth out the concrete
The first house that received a floor was recently built, and just getting ready to be used – so our timing was very good.
Fran smoothing the concrete
The smoothed floor
The second house had been built a couple of years ago. Placing the floor required moving out a cooking platform made from an old refrigerator, plus some beds and furniture. Heavy work!
Moving out cooking platform
Both homeowners and workers were very pleased with the outcome.
Homeowner of first house
Team and family at second house
Isla Chica School’s Well – third time the charm
The school’s initial, shallow well, runs out of water from time to time leaving the school without water. AVS drilled a much deeper well early May, however it did not produce enough water to meet the school’s needs. A third well, nearly 190 feet deep, was installed by the UCF – Wesley group – that well produces sufficient water.
Taking a break from cleaning out the well’s sump pits.
Digging the well’s pits
Some fun with local English students.
The team met several times with some English language students in Los Chiles. One meeting was at a new restaurant – the music was on, the karaoke was going too. So all had a good evening.
A party with the Los Chiles English students
UCF students noted a need
The students noted that nearly all the children at Chompipera needed new shoes. Measurements were taken and the team chipped in to make sure all received a new pair.
Starting to distribute shoes
New shoes are appreciated.
At Isla Chica – the school’s swing set needed some simple repairs so it would work properly. The UCF work group did the repairs and gave the swing set a new paint job. Thanks!
Repairing the swing set’s chains
Enjoying the repaired and repainted swing set.
Activities with children –
Throughout the weeks any “free time” found the UCF Wesley team playing with the children. New friends were made!
Having some fun with the kids
Isla Chica elementary school has a very good baseball team; so the group attended a game and a soccer match
Isla Chica’s little league team supporting a school soccer match
Girls soccer match
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As I mentioned above in May 2014 the UCF – Wesley team came to Los Chiles. They installed a well in Pavon around 30 minutes south of Los Chiles, for more information and photos please see my – May 2014 blog. They returned to the Pavon site to see the well and sample some passion and star fruit.
Team at Pavon well house – they installed it in May 2014
The neighbor remembered the team and gave them some passion fruit.
Enjoying some star fruit right off the tree – near the Pavon well
Follow on activities –
A deep well that provide abundant, safe drinking water is planned to serve Chompipera – stay tuned!
About AVS and how to support its work
Agua Viva Serves’ (AVS) focus is to provide potable drinking water to schools, churches, and the rural population – many of whom are very poor – in an isolated region of Costa Rica near the Nicaraguan border. First United Methodist Winter Park, Florida, started visiting the project area on mission trips in 1996. They started the AVS program and drilled its first water well in 2010. My goal is to help as needed with the project; I speak Spanish and have worked on similar programs in other developing countries.
Several people asked how to make a donation to help with the project. A donation can be made to Agua Viva Serves on their website. If you wish to give a donation by credit card, go through the web site –
http://aguavivaserves.org/donate/ If you wish to contribute by check, please send it to the Winter Park (FL) UMC, their address is on the website.
I would appreciate your support of this worthwhile project.
Bob with AVS in Costa Rica 
